Can opener mounting structure



April 11, 1961 Filed Aug. 28, 1959 E. D. HOWELL ETAL CAN OPENER MOUNTINGSTRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [)7 1/627 25 any. Edward 2 /70 we/J James reen, 1/):

777a)" At ornqg April 1961 E. D. HOWELL ETAL 2,979,300

CAN OPENER MOUNTING STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 28, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2United States Patent Edward D. Howell, New York, and James Green, Jr.,

Spencer-port, N.Y., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Filed Aug. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 836,783

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-146) This invention relates to can openers, and hasas its principal object the provision of an improved mounting structurefor releasably supporting such devices.

Further objects and advantages of the, invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, and the features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in theclaims appended to a forming a part of this specification.

Briefly stated, in one embodiment of our invention we provide a mountingplate arranged to releasably engage the rear wall of the casing of anautomatic electric can opener by means of a novel tab and notcharrangement, apertures formed in the mounting plate are so positionedthat the plate may be secured to a vertical wall by fasteners extendingtherethrough and into either a vertical stud or a horizontal molding orthe wall itself. A supporting frame, including legs adapted to rest on ahorizontal surface and a mounting portion provided with apertures whichmay be aligned with the apertures in the mounting plate so as to receivesuitable fasteners, may also be utilized.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made ofthe following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of the mounting structure andcan opener of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of the mounting structure and can openershown in Fig. 1, the parts being in a similar relation; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation View of the can opener and mounting structureshown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the casing of anautomatic electric can opener provided with mechanism generallydesignated by the numeral 2 on its front Wall for supporting a can andsevering the lid thereof. Various mechanisms of this nature arewellknown in the art and since the details of the cutting mechanism donot form a part of this invention, further description thereof will beomitted. Casing 1 may include a front section 3 formed of plasticmaterial and a rear wall 4 made of metal, for example. In the form ofthe invention illustrated in the drawing portions 3 and 4 of casing 1are secured together by screws 5 which pass through rear wall 4 and intofastening engagement with portion 3 but it will be understood thatvarious fastening means may be utilized, and also that a unitaryone-piece casing may be employed.

Rear wall 4 of casing -1 is provided with a generally rectangularopening 6, the side edges of which are preferably inclined at a slightangle as shown in Fig. 1. Side edge 7 of opening 6 is formed with a pairof rectangular notches 9 and 10 while side edge 8 includes a pair ofsimilar notches 11 and 12; the function of these notches will becomeapparent as the following description proceeds.

In order to permit casing 1 to be mounted either on a vertical wall oron a stand adapted to rest on a horizontal surface, we provide amounting plate 13 gen ice 14, 15, 16 and 17 being provided for thispurpose. These supporting tabs project from the inner face of themounting plate 13 and are preferably struck out of the base metal andbent so as to be spaced therefrom and to project laterally from thecenter line of the plate. Tabs 14 and 15 are spaced so as to mate withnotches 9 and 10 in rear wall 4 while tabs 16 and 17 are spaced so as tomate with notches 11 and 12. In this connection it will be observed thatnotches 14 and 16 are somewhat closer to the center of mounting plate 13than are notches '15 and '17. Thus, when rear wall 4 of the casing ofthe can opener is placed in juxta-, position to the inner face ofmounting plate 13 each of the tabs on the mounting plate is free toenter one of the notches in the side edges of opening 6, thuspositioning the tabs adjacent the innermost surface of rear wall 4.Thereafter, casing 1 may be shifted downwardly with respect to mountingplate 13 whereupon the tabs rest in engagement with the inner surface ofrear wall 4 and provide a firm support for the can opener.

In accordance with our invention, mounting plate 13 may either beconveniently mounted on a vertical wall or supported on a mounting frameadapted to rest on a horizontal surface such as a kitchen counter top.Mount' ing plate '13 includes a pair of spaced apertures located at theends of-a visible vertical center line 18, a second pair of apertureslocated at the ends of a visible diagonal line 19 and a third pair ofapertures located at the ends of a visible diagonal line 20. It will beobserved that lines '18, 19 and 20 cross at a common central point andlie wholly within the edges of the mounting plate. These visible linesserve the purpose of locating pairs of apertures which may be utilizedin fastening plate 13 to a vertical wall. For example, mounting 13 maybe attached to the wall by a pair of screws positioned in the aperturesat the ends of vertical line 18 and fastened to a vertical Wall stud, orin the apertures at the ends of lines 19 or 20 if the Wall itself or amolding board portion thereof is suitable for holding the screws inplace. In each case, the Weight of the can opener when supported onmounting plate 13 will be either distributed along the center line -18or balanced on opposite sides thereof.

If it should be desired to mount the can opener so that it may besupported on a horizontal surface, mounting plate 13 may also beutilized in conjunction with the supporting frame arrangementillustrated in the drawing. As shown therein, a pair of supportingframes 21 and 22 may be secured to mounting plate 13, four of the sixapertures in the mounting plate being utilized for this purpose.Mounting frame 21 includes a pair of leg portions 23 and 24 each ofwhich terminates in a suitable foot such as a rubber knob, and similarlyframe 22 includes a pair of legs 25 and 26. Supporting frame 21 includesa mounting portion 27 provided with a pair of apertures spaced so as tobe in alignment with the two apertures in mounting plate 13 on the rightside thereof (as viewed in Fig. 1) while supporting frame 22 includes amounting portion 28 provided with a pair of spaced apertures arranged tocooperate with the two apertures in mounting plate 13 on the left sidethereof. Supporting frames 21 and 22 are secured to mounting plate 18 byreleasable fasteners, such as the nuts and bolts illustrated in thedrawing. When these parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the mountingstructure formed thereby is capable of firmly supporting the can openerso that it may be operated while resting on a horizontal surface. Itwill, of course, be understood that tabs 14, 15, 16 and 17 cooperatewith notches 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the same manner as described above andthat the same precedure is used when the casing of the can opener is tobe placed on or removed from mounting plate 13.

While we have disclosed a specific embodiment of our invention, we donot desire the invention to be limited to the particular constructionillustrated and described, and we intend by the appended claims to coverall modifications within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim is:

l. A can opener comprising a casing having a front wall and a rear wall,cutter means on the front Wall of said casing adapted to support a canand sever the lid thereof, the rear wall of said casing having anopening of generally rectangular configuration, each of the side edgesof said opening having at least one notch therein, a mounting plateincluding a plurality of laterally projecting tabs secured thereto andadapted to pass through said notches and be shifted into engagement withthe side edges of the opening in said rear wall of said casing, saidmounting plate having a plurality of apertures therein, at least onesupporting frame including leg portions adapted to rest on a horizontalsurface and a mounting portion including a pair of apertures thereinspaced so that each is in alignment with one of the apertures in saidmounting plate when the supporting frame and mounting plate areassembled in operative position, and a plurality of removable fastenersadapted to be positioned in said apertures in engagement with saidsupporting frame and said mounting plate.

2. A can opener as defined in claim 1 in which said mounting plateincludes on the side thereof from which said tabs project a visiblevertical center line and a pair of visible diagonal lines, said linescrossing a common central point and lying wholly within the edges of themounting plate, said apertures being six in number and located at theends of said lines.

3. A can opener comprising a casing having a front wall and a rear wall,cutter means on the front wall of said casing adapted to support a canand sever the lid thereof, the rear wall of said casing having anopening of generally rectangular configuration, each of the side edgesof said opening having at least one notch therein, and a mounting plateincluding a plurality of integral laterally projecting tabs bent out ofthe plane thereof and adapted to pass through said notches and beshifted into engagement with the side edges of the opening in said rearwall of said casing, said mounting plate having a plurality of aperturestherein adapted to receive fastener means for securing the mountingplate to a wall or the like.

4. A can opener comprising a casing having a front wall and a rear wall,cutter means on the front wall of said casing adapted to support a canand sever the lid thereof, the rear Wall of said casing having meansdefining at least one opening therein, said last mentioned meansincluding a pair of laterally spaced side edges facing the verticalcenter line of said rear wall, each of said side edges having a pair ofvertically spaced notches therein, and a mounting plate including twopairs of integral laterally projecting tabs bent out of the planethereof and spaced so as to mate with said pairs of notches, each ofsaid tabs being respectively adapted to pass through one of said notchesand be shifted into engagement with portions of said rear wall adjacentsaid side edges, said mounting plate having a plurality of aperturestherein adapted to receive fastener means for securing the mountingplate to a Wall or the like.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,796,176 Witzleb Mar. 10, 1931 2,440,867 Marchand May 4, 1948 2,754,991Hagerty July 17, 1956 2,826,755 Aiken Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS689,995 Great Britain Apr. 8, 1953

